1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a retractor for automatically taking up the seat belt of a vehicle, and more specifically to improvements in a retractor provided with belt take-up force locking means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To eliminate the belt take-up force of a retractor exerted on a belt wearer during the wearing of the seat belt and realize comfortable wearing of the seat belt, a retractor has been proposed which is provided with take-up force locking means for locking the belt take-up force during the normal use of the seat belt drawn out from the retractor and for preventing uncomfortable sense of restraint from being imparted to the belt wearer.
However, the retractor provided with such locking means still suffers from problems. One of the problems is that when the seat belt is further drawn out by movement of the belt wearer during the wearing of the belt, the locking means acts in that drawn out condition of the belt to create a slack in the seat belt, which thus cannot achieve its original function as the seat belt. Another problem is that the locking means, which is normally operated by means for sensing the wearing of the seat belt of the belt wearer and bringing the locking means into operative condition by the sensing signal, almost always acts before the belt wearer assumes his final or normal seated position, and often creates a slack in the seat belt, which thus may not perform its original function as the seat belt.